Berea College Appalachian Sound Archives Fellowships 2011-2012

The Berea College Appalachian Sound Archives Fellowship program's
purpose is to encourage scholarly use of Berea's non-commercial audio
collections that document Appalachian history and culture, especially
the areas of traditional music, religious expression, spoken lore, and
radio programs. Awards in support of such research range from one to two
months, with stipends of $3,000 per month.

The fellowships must
be taken up between July 2011 and June 2012. All Fellowship supported
work must be finished by June 30, 2012. Fellows are expected to be in
residence during the term of the fellowship and are encouraged to
participate in campus and community activities.The deadline for proposals is June 1, 2011, for July through December 2011, and December 1, 2011, for January through June 2012.

Berea's
recordings collections are especially strong in the areas of
traditional music, religious expression, spoken lore and radio
programs. They include extensive documentation of fiddle and banjo
tunes; ballads and songs; Old Regular Baptist singing and preaching;
folktales and legends; and related interviews with musicians, preachers,
and storytellers, 1950 to the present. Radio material heard in the
region for the years 1936 to the mid 1950s, documents a wide range of
Kentucky, national, and world political figures and events.
Entertainment programs include country music, soap operas, musical
variety shows and sporting events.

There is no application form. Applicants are asked to submit a proposal that includes:

1. Identifying and contact information, applicant's background and interest in the particular subject area.2. A summary of the proposed project.3.
Detailed description of the anticipated use of Berea collections.
Please discuss specific collection material and their relevance to the
project.4. Anticipated research outcomes (e.g., teaching, print publication, web-based resources).5.
The length of time needed for the project (one month minimum, two
months maximum), and preferred dates of residence. The duration of award
is requested by the candidate, but the final decision is made by the
Fellowship Committee.6. Three letters of recommendation from
colleagues familiar with the applicant's work and who are qualified to
judge the proposal. For graduate degree candidates, the recommendations
must include those of the professor directing the applicant's research
and the department chair. Applicants are responsible for contacting all
persons providing recommendations.